Heavily armed bandits disguised in military uniforms stormed Tasharnagulle village in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State, kidnapping 30 individuals on Sunday night around 8 pm.
The attackers reportedly entered the village and opened fire into the air to create panic.
According to sources within the community, the assailants then issued deceptive assurances to those fleeing, claiming to be security personnel who had come to assist.
Residents were warned that anyone attempting to escape would be shot.
One source recounted the bandits’ tactics to Daily Trust, stating, “We are security personnel; we have come to help you, but you are running away; we will shoot anyone who runs away.”
Subsequently, the criminals moved from house to house, coercing people to come out and preventing them from fleeing. The strategy allowed them to assemble a considerable number of individuals for abduction.
A survivor of the ordeal shared that when the captives were gathered near the bandits’ motorcycles, a head count was conducted, totalling 31 men and women, including girls and married women. Subsequently, the victims were ordered onto the motorcycles.
A fortunate escape was reported by one individual who managed to break free from the group near where the bandits had stored their motorcycles and returned home.
While residents confirmed the incident to the media, the police authorities, led by spokesman Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, an ASP, announced they were actively investigating the matter.
Police sources stated that a thorough investigation would be conducted to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The incident adds to the growing security concerns in various parts of Nigeria.
